Granada (part 1)

One of the reasons that we chose to go to Granada is that we have a friend living there. It is really great to visit a city where a friend lives as they make the experience so much better.

1. They tell you where to stay. Brian referred us to a great little hotel.

2. They introduce you to their friends. Brian had a friend who wanted to practice his English, so we took a walk and then hit up a few Tapas bars for some food and drink.

3. They take you to the great out of the way places. Brian and his friend took us to two different Tapas bars, both off the beaten path and both without English menus. One was packed 10 mintues after it opened. And for good reason. Both tapas we had were incredible – the second was by far the best meatballs I’ve ever had in my whole life. And, to top it all off, they were free! Yes, traditionally in Spain tapas come for free with your drinks, but this tradition has not persisted in the tourist areas.

5. They translate for you when needed. The desk clerk at the hotel (a woman filling in it seems) didn’t speak any more than the most basic hotel English. The hotel made reservations for us for the Alhambra. We could understand that she had reservations, but no idea what the logistics were. When Brian came to our hotel he asked the clerk for us. Good thing because the drill was extremely complicated. Score.

The next post will be the start of our Alhambra experience. I’ll warn you now, it was probably the most photogenic place I’ve ever been in my life…so expect to be there for a while.